Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Believe it or not, the amount of fan mail sent to Adolf Hitler rivalled that of The Beatles.

This inference can be drawn from the contents of many of the upto 1,000 letters a month written to the Nazi ruler — the mails have been unearthed by German historian Henrik Eberle who published them in his new book.

The book, titled Letters to Hitler — People Writes to its Leader, contains letters which included not only fawning pledges of allegiance but bizarre requests, The Independent reported on Tuesday.

The daily cited a telegram written by one Walter Zickler, dated June 1925. It pledges “unalterable allegiance and unshakeable faith in Adolf Hitler”, on behalf of the “College of German Farmers”.

“How does HE stand regarding the question of alcohol?” asks Alfred Barg. The dictator’s deputy Hess replies: “Herr Hitler does not drink any alcohol, except for a few drops on special occasions. He doesn’t smoke at all.”

Another letter by a National Socialist baker seeks permission to bake a new variety of cake which would in future be known as ‘Hitler Cake’. Hess refuses because Hitler wants to avoid “kitsch” publicity gimmicks.